Presbycusis

thumb|right|300px|In the ear hearing aid – ITE thumb|right|300px|Behind the ear hearing aid – BTE Presbycusis is caused by the aging of the inner ear. It's the most common hearing impairment in the population.

Etiopathogenesis

Essentially it is the physiological aging of the auditory system as a whole. The process of aging is very individual and also depends on external factors (exposure to noise, toxins and other factors during life).

Symptoms and diagnosis

• hypacusis – symmetrical perceptional disorder of higher tones (basocochlear), however, over time it spreads to lower frequencies, most significant is the involvement of 1-3 kHz (speech);
• tinnitus – may or may not be present, it's not a constant sign;
• there is a decrease in the ability of auditory analysis (especially comprehension of speech);
• on a verbal audiogram the result is usually worse than on a tonal → impairment of higher levels in the auditory pathways.

Therapy

Causal therapy doesn't exist. Hearing aid rehabilitation is used as symptomatic therapy.